Prayer Vigil at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (DIRC)
We will not be holding an in person prayer vigil at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre in January. The next in person vigil will be held on Sunday 5 February 2023 at 3.00pm.
However, we would urge you to pray from home for the people detained there and in detention centres elsewhere. You can find a copy of the prayers we use at the vigil, which you may wish to use here.
There has been lots in the news now around immigration detention centres and the worrying conditions that many are being detained in.
We believe that this is not the way to deal with vulnerable people and that it is contrary to what we are being urged to do by Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti who calls on us to ensure that “all migrants are entitled like others to participate in the life of society” and reminds us “that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person”. Seeking asylum is a human right. Thus, there is no such thing as an illegal asylum seeker.
Future dates planned for Sundays in 2023 include; 5 February, 5 March, 2 April and 7 May.
Visit the Justice and Peace webpage where you will find more details, including an online version of the prayer vigil (view here) or email: lizarchibald.justiceandpeace@gmail.com.
Justice & Peace Newsletter Winter 2022
The latest newsletter from Justice & Peace for Winter 2022 is available to read or download now. Access it here.